Inverter for sheets and cards



Aug. 11, 1970 PETER-SEN ET AL 3,523,687

INVERTER FOR SHEETS AND CARDS Filed May 9, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 2F/ci.

L v 5/ ,42 M

. I O RNEXS' Aug. 11 1970 PETERSEN ET AL- 3,523,687

INVERTER FOR SHEETS AND CARDS Filed May 9, 1968 E 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 KRT/71 5 5955 04 6502651 flak/Y5? United States Patent 3,523,687 INVERTERFOR SHEETS AND CARDS Kurt H. Petersen, White Bear Township, RamseyCounty, and George L. Warner, Roseville Village, Minn., assignors toMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., acorporation of Delaware Filed May 9, 1968, Ser. No. 727,786 Int. Cl.B65h 29/20, 29/34 US. Cl. 271-71 12 Claims ABSTRACT on THE- DISCLOSUREThis invention is directed to a device for inverting each of a series ofsheets or cards so that their printed or treated surfaces will be inproper orientation with each other after they have been printed orprocessed by photocopiers, key punch systems, card sorters, printingpresses, processing machinery etc. Inversion is carried out by movingthe sheets or cards through a series of angular races by means of adrive roller. After entering the device through an input race, the sheetor card is moved into an intermediate race which disposes it in a firstposition at an angle with respect to its plane of entry. In ,thisposition the direction of movement is reversed and the sheet or card ismoved into a delivery race oriented at an angle from the intermediaterace sufficient to invert the sheet approximately 180 from its positionon entry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The purpose of this invention is to provide adevice for inverting sheets of material after one or both surfaces ofthe sheet have been affixed with indicia, images, designs, chemicalcoatings etc. The device is especially adaptable for inverting sheets ofpaper or cards, after they have been processed by photocopiers, ofliceduplicators, key punch equipment, printing presses and imprinters.Usually the papers or cards are printed or otherwise applied with acontinuum of indicia so that indicia printed on the various pages issequentially related. The pages of books, letters, oifice memoranda,multiple page reports, serial documents and other similar text materialsare an example. After printing, a proper sequential orientation betweenall of the pages must be maintained so that indicia printed on each pageis in proper relation with related indicia on the other pages forreading, collating, filing, storing, bind ing, etc.

In many photocopiers and printing devices the several pages of a printedsequence are delivered from the printer onto a stack with the first pageof the sequence face down at the top of the stack or face up at thebottom of the stack. Consecutive sheets are stacked in the same inverseorder below or above the first page. Manual inversion of the stack perse will not correct the inverse orientation. Each sheet in the stackmust be individually inverted to attain proper consecutive orientationbetween the pages.

Some prior art devices have been devised to reverse the position ofarticles or items delivered from hoppers or similar supply sources. Someof these devices employ the concept of driving the individual articlealong an enclosed track looped or curved upon itself at an anglesufiicient to invert the position of the article after it has passedthrough the track. For example, see FIG. Ingenious Mechanisms forDesigners and Inventors, vol. 3, p. 469. Other devices such as theconveyance means of Copping et al. US. 3,368,701 have employed a seriesof rollers to form a semi-circular path through which individual flatitems are delivered and inverted for the purpose of placing each iteminto a viewing position.

Moving sheets or cards through a looped track or around a semi-circularpath formed by rollers would not 3,523,687 Patented Aug. 11, 1970 iceresult in a satisfactory device for inverting printed sheets produced byoffice photocopiers, duplicators, key punch devices or high-speedindustrial printing presses. A looped track sufiicient to invert sheetsin letter size or larger would occupy a considerable amount of space.Also the sheets would tend to jam in the track if delivered into thesystem at high speed. A series of rollers to define a semicircle wouldbe too bulky and complicated for adoption as an inverter in conjunctionwith the operation of photocopiers, duplicators, key punch devices, etc.

The system to which this invention is directed is compact and eificient.It inverts sheets by moving them by means of a single rotating rollerthrough a series of angularly interconnected guides, pathways or racesoutlined by bafiies or reticulated grids. In the description below theinterconnected guideways or pathways to guide the sheets will generallybe referred to as races or raceways.

Inversion is accomplished by first moving the sheets into a first orinput raceway which may be directly connected to the photocopier orprinter. The sheets are then driven into a second or intermediateraceway to orient them at an angle to their plane of entry into thesystem. Inversion is completed by reversing their direction of movementin the intermediate race and turning the sheets through a further angleas they pass into a third or delivery raceway or through the deliveryraceway into a storage bin. The magnitude per se of each angle throughwhich the sheets are turned is not critical, the only requirement beingthat after passing through the two angles the sheets have beenoverturned approximately from their plane of entry.

Inasmuch as complicated driving means are eliminated and the threeraceways are compact in size and space, the device can easily be adaptedfor use in conjunction with oflice photocopiers, duplicators, collators,key punch equipment and small high speed printing presses. The sameprinciple of inversion may be utilized in conjunction with largerindustrial equipment to provide an inverter suitable for invertingsheets delivered from high speed printing presses, imprinting equipmentor process machinery for applying various types of coatings toindividual sheets.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Understanding of the invention will befacilitated by referring to the accompanying drawings in which likenumerals refer to like parts in the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective views of an inverter suitable for use inconjunction with photocopiers and the like;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines and in the direction ofthe arrows 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the inverter with the cover,housing, frame and raceways partially broken away to show the mountingof the drive roller and the means to rotate same; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a modification of the invertershown in FIGS. 1-3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION While the embodiment shown in the drawings anddescribed below is adaptable primarily for use in conjunction withphotocopy machines, it is to be understood that the principle of theinvention may be utilized to invert printed and imprinted sheets, cards,etc., in conjunction with key punch system, ofiice duplicators,collators, printing presses or imprinting equipment of all kindswhenever the delivered sheets must be inverted to main tain a propersequential orientation between consecutive pages. Also the device can beused in conjunction with processes for coating the surfaces of plates orsheets with a chemical layer such as photosensitive surfaces oflithographic plates.

Relative to photocopiers, many of these devices provide feedingequipment which automatically feeds sets of original copies from whichduplications will be made in the copier. In utilizing the copier, theoperator usually loads the originals in image or face down orientation.When photocopying a consecutive series, the first copy of the series isgenerally placed at the bottom of the stack and the last copy at thetop. The last original copy will then be the first to be fed into themachine for exposure. If loaded in this manner the photocopies or imagesreproduced from the originals will be delivered from the copier incorrect sequence; that is in a face up orientation with the last copy atthe bottom of the stack and the first copy at the top. However, insofaras the original copies are concerned, each copy will be delivered imageface down into the discharge bin with the last copy of the seriesdelivered first. After all originals have been exposed they will beoriented face down in the bin with the first page or copy at the top ofthe stack. In order to attain readable orientation between the pages,each sheet in the stack must be individually inverted.

Conversely, when manually feeding original copies, the first page of aconsecutive series is usually exposed first. Since the photocopiesreproduced from the originals are generally delivered image side up, thefirst photocopy in the sequence will usually be oriented face up at thebottom of the stack below all consecutive pages or copies. Manualinversion of the stack per se after all photocopies have been made willnot result in placing the sheets in proper sequential orientation. Eachpage must be individually inverted to place the sheets of the stack intoa readable order.

Similar problems often occur in delivery from other types of printingpresses and imprinting equipment. The problem is particularly burdensomewhen it is desired to deliver sheets directly from the printer into acollator. To attain proper sequential orientation between pages it isnecessary to invert each individual sheet after delivery from theprinter.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings maybe placed directly within the delivery system of a photocopier.Attachment between the delivery tray or bin and the delivery system ofthe copier is preferred. The copiers delivery system usually comprises aweb, belt or series of rollers over which either the originals orphotocopies are moved for delivery from the copier.

The illustrated embodiment comprises a housing of metal, plastic, orother suitable material generally designated by the numeral in FIGS.1-3. The housing forms an enclosure by means of bottom panel 11, sidepanels 12 and 13, rear panel 14 and a partial front panel 15. Sidepanels 12 and 13 may have depending hooks 16 to secure the inverterwithin the delivery pathway of the photocopier. A frame 17 is designedto fit substantially coextensively inside housing 10 and suitablysecured to front panel and in spaced relation to side panels 12 and 13.

Frame 17 supports a series of bafiles which form the three races orraceways for guiding the sheets through inversion. As seen in FIGS. 2and 3 the bafiles are supported on frame 17 by means of right angledsupport members 18-21 formed integral with the frame and right angledmembers 2223 formed integral with the lower baffle and secured directlyto the frame. The bafiles may be secured to the support members andframe by any suitable means although bolts are preferred so that thedevice can be easily disassembled. Frame 17 also supports a drive rollerfor moving the printed sheets through the races and the means forrotating the roller.

A cover 24 is suitably secured over housing 10 and has an elongatedopen-ended duct to assist in guiding the printed sheets as they aredriven into and out of one of the races which is enclosed in the duct.

The bafiles which comprises a series of angulated plates form the threeinterconnected races or raceways. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 a first orinput raceway 26 is formed by an upper input baffle 27 secured to rightangled supports 19 and 21 and a spaced lower input bafile 28. Baffle 28-is secured to frame 17 by right angled members 22 and 23'. Raceway 26formed by bafiles 27 and 28 is disposed adjacent the delivery web orrollers of the photocopier. The race extends through an input opening 29which is formed by truncating the common juncture of frame 17 and cover24. Individual sheets 30 comprising photocopies or originals are movedby the force of the delivery system of the copier over the surface ofbattle 28 with the image oriented face up in event the delivery systemis ejecting photocopies or face down in the event originals are beingejected. In the event the delivery system of the photocopier or otherdevice is inadequate to drive sheets 30 along the surface of bafile 28,an additional drive roller may be mounted on the baflle adjacent inputopening 29 to insure adequate delivery into the inverter.

A second or intermediate raceway 31 to orient sheets 30 at an angle totheir plane of entry is connected to raceway 26. Although theinterniediate raceway is oriented substantially normal to the other tworaces in the device shown in FIGS. 1-3, normal orientation to the otherraces is not essential. It is sufficient if raceway 31 together with thethird or delivery raceway are angularly oriented with respect to eachother to form interconnected races to overturn or invert the sheetsappoximately 180 as the sheets pass through the two races. It ispreferred that the intermediate race be disposed at an angle ofinclination with respect to the input race sufficient to keep the sheetsfrom moving out of contact with the roller. After being drivencompletely into the intermediate race, the lagging or trailing end ofeach sheet must retain contact with the roller so that the sheet may bedriven in an opposite direction of travel through the delivery race tocomplete inversion.

The intermediate raceway 31 comprises a pair of intermediate baffles 32and 33. Bafiie 32 is an integral extension of the upper input bafiie 27and is disposed at right angles to the latter by means of an angulatedsection 34 as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. Bafiles 32 and 33 arevertically disposed within cover 24 in parallel spaced relation to eachother to provide a properly spaced raceway for guiding sheets 30. Asseen in FIG. 2 the baffles are, disposed in biconvex relationship toproperly orient the sheets 30 as they enter and leave raceway 31. Theintermediate 'bafiles are encased within open ended duct 25 which actsas an additional guide to prevent sheets of varying lengths from curlingor jamming over the top of the baffles.

A third or delivery raceway 35 may be joined to the intermediate race 31at the proper angle to substantially complete inversion as the sheetsenter the delivery race. Conversely inversion may be completed afterentry into the delivery raceway by shaping it so that the sheets areturned through the second angle as they pass through the race afterentry. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3 the delivery raceway 35 isoriented at a right angle from the intermediate race by curving thelower extension of baffle 33 substantially to form an upper deliverybaffle member 36 integrally formed with bafile 33. Delivery bafflemember 36 forms the upper guide for the delivery raceway 35 and issecured to frame 17 by bolting it to supports 18 and 20. Deliveryraceway 35 extends to and terminates in a discharge opening 37 formed byrecessing panel 14 along its juncture with cover 24. After inversionsheets 30 are ejected from the device through opening 37.

Individual sheets 30 are driven through the three raceways by a rollergenerally designated 38 and best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. Roller 38comprises a shaft 39 which is journaled for rotation to a pair ofbearings 40 mounted on opposite sides of frame 17. The roller has aconcentric layer 41 suitably secured to shaft 39 to provide a surfacefor frictional driving engagement with sheets 30. In the preferredembodiment, layer 41 consists of a compressible material such aspolyurethane foam, a suitable vinyl or rubber material to provide both adriving surface and a surface that will compress or yield when thesheets are driven into and out of the intermediate race 31 which isdisposed immediately above the roller. The layer 41 is corrugated toform an alternate series of ridges or lands 42 disposed adjacent grooves43, the surface of the lands being used as the frictional drivingsurface of the roller. The roller 38 is disposed at the junc ture of thethree raceways 26, 31 and 35. In this position it serves both as adriving and guiding structure.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the driving surface of lands 42is in direct contact with the angulated section 34 of inverting baffie32 and with the angular juncture of upper delivery bafile member 36 withbafie 33. The surface of the rollers will compress slightly on contactwith the sheets to allow the sheets to pass between the roller and'baffies. The baffles act as a backing to allow the driving surface ofthe lands to make firm contact with the sheets.

Direct contact between the roller surface and baffles 32 and 36 is notessential. If the roller surface comprises material having minimal wearresistance, the roller can be mounted so that the driving surface of thelands is spaced a minute distance from baffles 32 and 36 and stillprovide adequate driving means for moving the sheets through theinverter.

Roller 38 may be rotated by any appropriate means such as a power takeoff from the copier or other type of device with which the inverter isused. Rotation is in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 2 to drive thesheets into the intermediate raceway .31 from input raceway 26 andsubsequently into and through delivery raceway 35.

A preferred embodiment is to provide a separate AC motor 44 withappropriate gearing. The motor, suitably connected to a power source ismounted on frame 17 within housing and disposed below roller 38 (as seenin FIGS. 2 and 3). Motor 44 is connected to a drive gear 45 which inturn rotates spur gear 46 integral with shaft 39.

The preferred rate of rotation in conjunction with inverting sheets fromphotocopiers has been found to be about 200 rpm. The rate of rotationwill of course vary depending upon the characteristics of the sheetsinverted, rate of delivery into the inverter, etc. The device willinvert sheets delivered in rapid succession, the only limitation beingthat the leading edge of each sheet moved across input baffle 28 must bespaced from the trailing edge of the preceding sheet so that the leadingedge of the trailing sheet is individually brought into contact with theroller.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 a series of serrations or fingers 47extend from lower input bafile 28 and are partially convoluted aroundgrooves 43 adjacent each land 42 of the roller. Fingers 47 and angulatedsection 34 form a restriction in the entrance to the intermediateraceway 31 so that the leading edge of the sheets will be correctlyoriented and firmly contacted by the roller for entry. The fingers alsoform a guide to assist in the discharge of inverted sheets. As seen inFIGS. 2 and 3, fingers 47 disposed in grooves 43 are spaced below upperdelivery bafiie member 36. Along with the surfaces of lands 42 of theroller, the fingers define the lower guide or bafile of the deliveryraceway 35. Inverted sheets will be driven by the roller and guided bybaffle member 36 and fingers 47 out the discharge opening 37 into adischarge bin 48 secured to panel 14 by hooks 49.

The bafiles are preferably smooth-surfaced and may be made from variousmaterials such as plastic or metal. Sheet metal is preferable as thevarious angular configurafions can easily be obtained by stamping orbending the metal.

The device may be used to invert either the original copies used to makephotocopies or the photocopies per se as they are delivered from theinverter. Inasmuch as the original copies are generally delivered fromthe photocopier in image face down orientation they will be delivered tothe inverter in this position. Conversely, photocopies made fromoriginals are usually delivered face up. They will therefore enter theinverter in image face up orientation. In either case image surfaceorientation will be reversed after the sheet has passed through theinverter and thus the inversion will correct improper orientationbetween pages of originals or photocopies sequentially delivered fromthe photocopier.

In operation sheets 30 will be individually delivered from the copierinto input raceway 26 with the image facing up or down. The deliverysystem of the copier will move the sheets across the upper surface oflower input baffle 28 until the leading edge of the sheet contactsroller 38. Contact with the roller begins to orient the sheet to aposition approximately at a right angle to its plane of entry by movingthe leading edge through the restriction formed by roller 38 and fingers47 with the angulated section 34. After passing through the restriction,the leading edge enters intermediate raceway 31 and contacts the innersurface of intermediate baffle 33. The concave contour of the innersurface of bafiie 33 tends to curve the sheet against the natural curlit would take after passing between the roller and the restriction sothat the sheet will be properly oriented in a substantially verticalposition in raceway 31. Continued rotation of the roller moves theentire sheet into raceway 31 so that sheet 30 is now completely disposedbetween intermediate baffies 32 and 33 at an angle substantially normalto its plane of entry into the device. Duct 25 assists the invertingbaffles to orient the sheet.

As soon as the trailing edge of sheet 30 reaches a position immediatelyabove roller 38 the continued rotation of the roller surface grips theedge and carries it in a substantially lateral direction into contactwith the juncture of baffles 33 and 36. In this position the directionof sheet travel is immediately reversed by rotation of the roller. Thelateral movement plus the reversed direction of travel tends to curl thesheet against the concaved inner surface of inverting. baffle 32 placingit in proper orientation for movement of the sheet out of theintermediate race. Roller contact with the trailing edge of the sheet(which now forms its leading edge) moves the sheets into the deliveryraceway 35 where it is turned through the second angle necessary toattain inversion. In the described embodiment the sheets 30 are turnedthrough the second angle as they are driven by the roller along thesurface of the right angled juncture of upper delivery bafile 36 withbafile 33 into the delivery raceway 35. The sheet is now on a planesubstantially at right angles to its position when in intermediateraceway 31 and has been inverted substantially from its position uponentry into the inverter. Thus if the image is delivered to the inverterin image up position it will be inverted to image down position and viceversa.

Delivery is accomplished by driving the sheets by means of the rollerinitially along the surface of upper delivery bafile member 36. Thedistal ends of fingers 47 assist in orienting each sheet as it passesthrough delivery raceway 35 and discharge opening 37 into bin 48. Thefingers also assist in orienting sheets in the event the sheets fail toproperly move around the right angled turn formed at the juncture ofbafiles 33 and 36. If sheets 30 are composed of stiff material theiredges may press into the compressible layer 41 until striking thefingers as the sheets are moved out of the intermediate raceway. Thefingers will thus complete orientation by guiding the edge of the sheetinto raceway 35.

In some situations it may be preferred to utilize an inverter modifiedsomewhat from the device shown in FIGS. l3. This is particularly true ifthe inverter is to be used to invert large stock or sheets from printingpresses or other processing devices. The modification may however beused for any of the applications discussed above and is particularlyadaptable for inverting a large number of photocopies for delivery intocollators.

The modified inverter as shown in FIG. 4 is similar in operation to theinverter in FIGS. 1-3 except that the three angulated raceways areoutlined by a combination of baflie plates and reticulated grids, thelatter formed by metal tubing or heavy wire. Further, the intermediaterace may be oriented with respect to the input race either at an obtuseor right angle and the delivery raceway extends below the plane of theroller for discharging sheets. Inversion of the sheets a is completed bymoving the sheets into substantially horizontal orientation as they passover the curved end of the delivery raceway above discharge bin 48a.Also it is preferred to eliminate fingers 47.

The input raceway 26a comprises an upper reticulated grid 27a disposedin spaced relation above a lower plate or baffle 28a which is truncatedadjacent roller 38a. Grid 27a is integrally joined at an obtuse angleadjacent the roller to one of the grids, 32a, forming the intermediateraceway 31a. The intermediate raceway is also formed by grid 33a spacedparallel from grid 32a a sufficient distance to outline the intermediaterace. Grids 32a and 33a are reticulated and curved in the direction ofthe delivery end of the inverter. The curvature allows large sheets tocurl along the natural curve they will take after being driven into theintermediate raceway 31a by roller 38a.

Grid 33a is integrally joined at a substantially right angle to an upperdelivery grid member 36a. The delivery raceway 35a is formed by a plateor bafiie 47a, disposed in parallel spaced relation to a grid member36a. One end of plate 47a is disposed adjacent roller 38a and theopposite end disposed over the discharge bin 48a. The end of the platedisposed over the discharge bin is curved to complete the inversion ofthe sheets and discharge them on a plane substantially parallel to theplane of the input raceway.

The grids forming the angled juncture of grid 27a with 32a and grid 33awith grid member 36a are disposed parallel with and in spaced relationto grooves 43a of the roller. In this position the tube or wire of thegrid is disposed a minute distance within the groove 43a. As the sheetspass between the roller and grid the grid tends to press the sheetfirmly against the driving surface of the lands of the roller disposedadjacent each groove 43a.

The modification of FIG. 4 may be mounted in a suitable housing or frameor attached directly to the printing press, collator or other printingdevice with which it is used. If necessary an input roller may bemounted along the input raceway 26a to insure adequate delivery of thesheets into the inverter.

In a slight modification of FIGS. 1-3, the angulated section 34 ofbafile and the right angled juncture between intermediate bafllle 33 andupper delivery bafiie member 36 may have a series of embossed ribsformed on their surfaces forming the raceways. Similar to the tubes orgrid of the above modification, the ribs extend parallel to thedirection of sheet travel. The bafiies are positioned so that they arenot in direct contact with roller 31 but in sufiiciently close spacedrelation so that the embossed ribs extend a minute distance withingrooves 43. Similar to the tubes or wires, the ribs serve to press thesheets into firm frictional engagement with the surfaces of lands 42.

In event the roller is rotated at high speeds or the angle ofinclination of the intermediate race with respect to the horizontalplane of the input race is not sufficient to retain the trailing edge ofthe sheets in contact with the roller by gravity, the sheets may travelinto the intermediate race to a position out of contact with the roller.In such event stops adjustable to the varying lengths of the sheets maybe suitably secured along duct 25 or the raceway 31a to maintain thetrailing edge of the sheets in driving contact with the roller.

What is claimed:

1. An inverter for inverting sheets delivered from a machine forafiixing material to at least one surface thereof, the invertercomprising in combination,

(a) a grooved roller for driving said sheets through said inverter;

(b) a first raceway for directing sheets delivered therein from saidmachine in a first direction toward and along a chordal plane of saidroller for bringing the leading edge of said sheet into contact withsaid roller;

(c) a second raceway for receiving said sheets as they are driven pastsaid roller in said first direction, the second raceway disposed at anangle with respect to said plane suflicient to retain said sheetstherein with their trailing edge in contact with said roller; and

(d) a third raceway having an upper member disposed in spaced relationwith the grooves of said roller for directing said sheets away from saidroller in a direction opposite said first direction with the trailedgeforemost through a pathway formed by said third raceway angularlyoriented with respect to said second raceway to dispose sheets passingtherethrough in a position inverted substantially from their position ofdelivery into said first raceway.

2. The inverter of claim 1 in which said first and second racewayscomprise adjacent baffles in spaced apart relationship and said thirdraceway comprises an upper bafile member disposed in spaced relationfrom serrated fingers convoluted partially around the grooves of saidroller for driving said sheets.

3. The inverter of claim 1 in which said second raceway comprises a pairof reticulated grids in curved parallel spaced relationship with eachother.

4. The inverter of claim 1 in which the first and third raceways eachcomprise a plate and reticulated grids dispohsed in spaced apartparallel relationships with each ot er.

5. An inverter for inverting sheets from a first to second facedposition as the sheets are delivered in sequence from a machine forafiixing images to the sheets, the inversion placing the pages of thesheets in serial relationship with each other, the device comprising (a)an input raceway forming a pathway to guide the sheets into the devicein said first faced position as they are sequentially delivered fromsaid machine;

(b) an intermediate raceway disposed substantially normal to said inputraceway and having one end opening into and joining the input raceway toform a pathway for the transportation of sheets from the input tointermediate raceway;

(c) a delivery raceway having one end opening into and joining theintermediate raceway adjacent its juncture with the input raceway anddisposed to form a pathway for guiding sheets moved therein from theintermediate raceway through a substantially right angle from theirposition in the intermediate raceway, the end opposite the juncture withthe intermediate raceway terminating in a position to allow said sheetsto be ejected from said inverting device;

(d) grooved roller means disposed adjacent the junctures of saidraceways rotated for contacting the leading edge of said sheets anddriving the sheets in a first direction from the sheets first facedposition in the input raceway into the intermediate raceway to positionthe sheets substantially normal to their first faced position in theinput raceway, the roller means upon continued rotation moving thetrailing edge of said sheets when positioned in the intermediate racewayto a position adjacent the juncture of the intermediate and deliveryraceway for entry into the delivery raceway and driving the sheets in adirection opposite said first direction through the substantially rightangled pathway formed by the delivery raceway and out of the deliveryraceway to orient said sheets into said second faced position invertedsubstantially 180 with respect to said first faced position; and

(e) bin means positioned adjacent the ejecting end of the deliveryraceway to hold a plurality of sheets as they are ejected out of saiddelivery raceway in said second faced position and in the order of theirdelivery into the inverter.

6. The inverting device of claim in which the intermediate racewaycomprises a pair of adjacent battles in biconvex spaced apartrelationship.

7. The inverting device of claim 5 in which said raceways comprise acombination of reticulated grids and plates disposed in spaced apartrelationship with each other, the reticulated grids at the junctures ofsaid raceways disposed in spaced relationship to the grooves of saidgrooved roller.

8. The inverting device of claim 5 in which stop means to limit movementof said sheets are positioned in said intermediate raceway.

9. An inverting device for inverting printed sheets from a first to asecond faced position after the sheets are sequentially delivered from aphotocopy machine into the inverter, the inverter comprising:

(a) a housing with spaced openings on opposing sides defining an inputopening for allowing the printed sheets to be delivered from thephotocopier into the device and a delivery opening for allowing theprinted sheets to be ejected out of the device;

(b) a cover over said housing, the upper portion of the cover elongatedto define an open ended duct;

(0) a frame mounted substantially coextensive with the interior of saidhousing;

(d) angulated interconnected raceways mounted coextensively over theupper end of said frame, defining a horizontal delivery racesubstantially on the same in the housing to guide sheets delivered intothe inverter by the photocopier in said first faced position, ahorizontal delivery race substantially on the same plane as the inputrace adjacent the delivery opening of the housing and an intermediaterace interconnected at right angles to the input and delivery race andextending into the open ended duct formed by said cover in a directionnormal to the plane of the input and delivery races;

(e) a grooved rotating roller journaled to the frame and having acompressible driving surface, the roller disposed adjacent theinterconnction of the intermediate race with the input and deliveryraces and rotated so that sheets delivered into the device by thephotocopier in said first faced position along the input race willcontact said roller and be driven through a first right angle from thesheets position in the input race into said intermediate race and openended duct in a first direction and upon continued rotation of theroller be driven in a second direction through a second right angle fromthe sheets position in said inverting race and duct into said deliveryrace thereby inverting the sheet from its first faced position along theinput race substantially 180 into said second faced position, saidroller driving the sheets with sufiicient force to deliver them out ofsaid raceway through the delivery opening of said housing;

(f) a bin secured to said housing to hold a plurality of sheets instacked orientation as they are ejected from the device in said secondfaced position and in the sequence of delivery from the photocopier and(g) means mounted in the housing to drive said roller.

10. The angulated interconnected raceways of claim 9 wherein saidraceways comprises a lower baffle extending from the input opening ofsaid housing substantially coextensive over the upper end of said frameand housing, the baffle having a series of fingers partially convolutedabout the grooves in said roller for guiding sheets driven into thecompressible surface of said roller as they are moved into and out ofsaid intermediate race; a pair of upper baflies disposed in spacedrelation above the lower baffle, one of the upper baffies extending intosaid housing from the input opening, the other extending into saidhousing from the delivery opening to form respectively said input anddelivery races with the lower bafile, each of the upper baffies having asubstantially right angled section adjacent said grooved roller, theright angled sections extending from said roller in spaced apartrelationship to form a pair of biconvex bafiies to define theintermediate race, the inner surfaces of the biconvex baflies formingconcave surfaces adapted to orient the sheets for movement into and outof said intermediate race in said first and second directions.

11. The angulated interconected raceways of claim 10 in which the rightangled sections of the upper baflles adjacent said roller are in contactwith the surface of said roller.

12. The angulated interconnected raceways of claim 10 in which the rightangled sections of the upper baffles adjacent said roller have a seriesof ribs extending from their surfaces and disposed in spacedrelationship to the grooves of said roller.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 700,722 5/1902 Appel 271-63 XEDWARD A. SROKA, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 271

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,523,68Y Dated August 11, 1970 Inventor(s) KURT H. PETERSEN and GEORGEL WARNER It is certified that error appears in the above-identifiedpatent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col 2, line 48: "views" should be --view-- Col 2, line 65: "system"should be --systems- Col. 7, line 54: "section 34 of baffle and" shouldbe ---section 34 of baffle 32 and-- Col. 9, line 37, claim 9: "ahorizontal delivery race substantially on the same" should be --ahorizontal input race adjacent the input opening--.

SIGNED AND JR- m I. Wil a minnow-18.11 m 881 or w FORM P0405) HO'EQ)USCOMM-DC econ-Pee U 5 GOVERNNENY '"IN'ING OFFICE I," (J-Ji-3Jl

